Orlando State Senator Geraldine Thompson has organized a Speak Out Town Hall Meeting to include Congressman Maxwell Frost and Attorney Ben Crump from 10am until noon on August 12th at the James R. Smith Center located at 1723 Bruton Boulevard in Orlando.
At the Central Florida town hall, Congressman Frost will focus on federal calls to revise Florida’s African American History Standards. Attorney Crump, who recently won a settlement in the 70-year-old Henrietta Lacks cancer cell line taken from an African American woman without her consent, will focus on legal recourse to the African American History Standards.
The Speak Out Town Hall will feature descendants of families killed or displaced during the Ocoee and Rosewood Massacres. The descendants have expressed concerns regarding how their ancestors are being possibly portrayed in newly adopted African American History Standards introduced by Governor DeSantis’ administration and the Florida Department of Education.
Spokespersons for the Ocoee and Rosewood Massacre descendants who will participate in the Speak Out Town Hall include Pastor Stephen Nunn, a descendant of July Perry who was lynched after he attempted to vote in Ocoee and Gregory Doctor, a descendant of Thelma Evans Hawkins, a Rosewood Massacre survivor. The families of both massacres were victims of racist mobs. The new Florida African American History Standards related to the massacres direct teachers to highlight violence perpetrated against and by African Americans which some consider a distorted view of these historical events.
Also invited to participate in the Speak Out Town Hall Meeting are students and teachers who will focus on the impact of the new standards on a balanced and inclusive education.
WHO:
Senator Geraldine Thompson (Orlando – Democrat)
Congressman Maxwell Frost (FL-10)
Attorney Ben Crump
Descendants of Families Killed or Displaced During the Ocoee and Rosewood Massacres
WHAT:
Speak Out Town Hall Meeting
WHEN:
Saturday, August 12th, 2023 at 10:00 am
WHERE:
Dr. James R. Smith Neighborhood Center
1723 Bruton Boulevard
Orlando, FLÂ Â
The Town Hall is free and open to the public; however, individuals are encouraged to register to insure adequate seating and instructional material. Individuals who wish to register for the Speak Out Town Hall should call Senator Thompson’s office at 850-487-5015 or email her office.
